


10 Things Charles knows about Erik

by Crazycatlady90



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-01
Updated: 2014-07-05
Packaged: 2018-01-17 19:29:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1399717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crazycatlady90/pseuds/Crazycatlady90
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Charles knows things about Erik. Well, if he didn't, who would?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 1. Of Control and Desire

**Author's Note:**

> What is love but knowing. Also know that I don't own Charles or Erik (Though I clearly would love to).

Charles knows things about Erik. Well, if he didn’t, who would?

He knows that control is everything to Erik.

Like now, when they’re a room away and a deep longing strikes Erik. Charles feels his hesitation. No, it’s not that he doesn’t want this. It’s just that he needs to be able to damn well control this. Control a desire so bad that it intrudes every fiber of Charles’s telepathic mind and wakes him?

 ** _You’re an idiot._** Charles sends Erik’s way.

 ** _Get out of my head._** Erik growls back in a voice so low that Charles shudders; an image of **_warm lips, strong arms and oh-my-god Erik’s voice in my ears_ ** racing to Erik before Charles can rein it in.

 ** _Charles._** Erik warns.

 ** _My door’s not closed Erik._** As though a closed door would stop Erik-

And that’s all it takes, before a familiar weight falls into Charles’s bed.

[Charles knows what Erik will ask in the morning.

**_Why the fuck was your door open?_ **

**_I knew you’d come._ **

Erik will frown.]

For now, Erik is busy tearing away his own clothes; an epic feat considering the fact that he is kissing Charles and also trying to hold him close.

 _ **Who’s going to undress me though?**_ Charles smiles into Erik’s thoughts.

_**Me. Only. Me.** _

This is Erik’s deal. Charles is his; everything else is negotiable.

 _ **Nothing is negotiable.**_ Erik retorts harshly, undoing his annoyance with a trail of kisses and caresses along Charles’s body now **_undressed_**.

Charles senses Erik’s feeling of accomplishment. He opens up for a longer kiss, pressing his body closer to Erik’s.

**_Tastes like chocolate._ **

Charles sees the picture Erik sees.

 _ **Cute. You’re so cheesy.**_ He laughs in Erik’s head.

 _ **I’m not easy.**_ Erik protests indignantly.

_**Cheesy.** _

_**Oh.** _ The warmth in Erik’s happy thoughts touches Charles before he can attempt to hide them away.

_**Charles, stay out of my head. And shut up.** _

_**Make me.** _

A void in the place of Erik’s mind. For a moment, Charles is afraid Erik is turned off by his boisterous chatter.

_**You should know better, Charles.** _

Charles does not have it in him to reply. Erik is in him, driving him insane. Insanely insane.

_**Erik-** _

_**Erik-** _

_**Erik-** _

“Yes, Charles?” Erik asks calmly, collapsing on an exhausted Charles with a kiss on his shoulder.

“You-you’re a control f-freak.” Charles pants out. He is sure Erik is smirking that superior smirk, that arch of the lips that sends him over time and time again.

“Why, Charles, you can hardly speak.” Erik nuzzles on the hollow of his neck.

_**Fuck you.** _

“You just did! I swear you’re so horribly unappreciative.” Erik smiles, an honest to godness smile, _**love, Charles, roses, blue sky, meadows, chocolates, lips, honey, darling, love, Charles.**_

_**I know.** _

And that is all it takes for Erik not to have the control that is everything to him.

After all, what is all the control in the world to Erik without Charles in his bed?

_**[Why was your door open, Charles?** _

_**Coincidence.** _

_**Better be.]** _


	2. 2. A Magnetic Impulse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How Charles knows what he knows now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Knowing is believing

Charles can see the metal of the car twist; a deranged screeching fills his ears.

_**Erik?** _

He tries to dissuade, cautiously tempering his voice with the right amount of pleading and forbidding.

The windshield protests with a yawning crack across the middle.

_**Erik!** _ This is urgent now. _**Stop. Please stop, Erik.**_

_**No.** _

The car shudders and levitates lightly.

Charles throws the best glare he can manage, all _**ice, frost, chill.**_

_**Don’t be a baby.** _

_**You’re the one mangling an innocent car just because-** _

_**She deserves it, the bitch.** _

_**Erik!!**_ Charles is scandalized by the hate.

A sickening crunch later, horrified people gather, desperate to unsee and disbelieve.

On the other side of the street, Erik sips his coffee nonchalantly.

_**At least, have the decency to look like you’re unpleasantly surprised.**_ Charles grinds his teeth.

The unfortunate owner runs to her car.

_**Oh, Erik**_ ; Charles is amazed that anyone can look so wolf-like and childish at the same time. _**You’re evil.** _

The sense of pure joy from Erik throws Charles.

_**Now you know what you’re getting into, Charles.** _

Charles can’t decide if the trill that voice leaves in him is excited fear or _**just fear.**_

He most certainly knows what Erik’s insidious laughter in his head leaves him with.Charles does his mental equivalent of I’m-not-talking-to-you.

He gets an immediate vengeful kick out of the way Erik’s face falls as Charles leaves his mind and walks away.

_**Charles? Charle-** _

Panic from somewhere behind Charles, flighty and fast. Erik always knows when Charles is genuinely upset.

Before he can get far, Erik grabs a handful of his coat.

“Come back here, dammit.”

Charles may be small, he may be –

_**[Beautiful, perfect, so perfect when you’re mad.]** _

\- but he will not give in.

“That was unreasonable and petty.”

**_You’re defending a jackass –_** "but yes, if you say so.”

“That does not sound like an apology.”

“Who says I’m apologizing?” Erik scoffs.

Charles turns on his heels.

_**Wait-**_ Erik cuts him off, jumping with surprising agility onto his path.

“What was I supposed to do? I couldn’t just sit there!”

“You could have risen above. Chosen the high road. Been the better man. Choose your cliché.” Charles realizes his voice is shrill, he’s snapped a little.

_**[Silly Erik, all his doing, of course.** _

_**Oh hello, you’re back, Charles.** _

_**You weren’t to hear that!]** _

“I can’t even stop-I’m so pissed.” Charles literally stomps his feet and crosses his arms.

Erik bites his lip, and sighs deeply, his feet are apart, arms on hips and his face hangs. Charles knows this stance, this is him giving in. This is Erik conceding.

_**In your dreams, Xavier.**_ Erik shoots back as Charles chides himself for not being able to rope in his thoughts.

A stream of affection flows from Erik that Charles can’t shut himself to.

_**Unfortunately this is one of the many effects I happen to have on you.** _

Charles shakes his head: “You can’t be impulsive like that. It’s…you just can’t.”

“Unfortunately, that is one of the many effects you have on me.” Erik’s demure smile reaches his eyes. “But yes, I can do better. Control is my thing, I suppose.”

Charles untenses. This is as good an apology as is coming from Erik Lehnsherr. _**Ever.** _

And this is how Charles knows what he knows now.

Anyone who dares to ask Charles out on Erik’s watch will have their car annihilated magnetically. Period.

_**[You got jealous!** _

_**Not really. More… indignant. I mean look at her. What on earth made her think she had a chance with you?** _

_**You bloody got jealous!** _

_**Shut up.** _

_**Make me.** _

_**Charles, there are established consequences to that statement.]** _


	3. 3. I'm a Natural Disaster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charles sees a side of Erik he already knew about. Is he ready for it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, in knowing, you quite don't know.

Force of Nature. That’s what Erik is.

Charles is at the wheel of a car whose name or model he can no longer remember.He vaguely recognizes the importance of keeping on the road, driving straight and avoiding other cars.

_**Charles, look away.** _

It’s a gentle reminder. Who would imagine that Erik is in the backseat torturing someone. Making someone cry with pain.

The man who kisses Charles asleep and touches him with so much kindness.

_**[Please, just let me read his mind again.** _

_**It doesn’t work on him. Shaw and his telepath have made sure of it.** _

_**Doesn’t mean that you should have to –** _

_**Yes, it does. Now look away Charles.]** _

Damn it. They both know exactly how right Erik is. Lives depend on this. Still that does not imply that Charles must reconcile with this Erik, this _**thing**_ he is now, hell-bent on forcing pain upon a human being. He won’t.

Charles wills himself not to look in the rearview mirror again. He will not see Erik’s face twist into dark shapes. Worse, he will not catch Erik when he spots Charles watching.

“Listen, I can end this. Just tell us what Shaw is planning.”

“Go-to-hell!” The man says through gritted teeth.

“This is hell.” Erik says in a voice so dangerously low, so menacing. This is not the voice that drives Charles nuts, a version of it, yes, but this is not it.

Out of the periphery of his sight, Charles sees the sharp glint of something metallic. Several glints of many things sharply metallic.

Charles blocks out the scream. The car is out of his control, he feels. They’re on a busy street, every automobile is coming at them. Shit. Wrong way up a one-way street.

“Are’ya blind, asshole?” Someone’s muffled shout penetrates the bullet proof glass. Or did he just read somebody’s mind?

“Erik? I-” Charles thinks of apologies, things to say to Erik about the bumpy ride, jokes about Erik distracting him; There’s nothing to think about but the shining points of blood on the man and his loud screams, whimpers, pain, fear, hearing it, feeling it gnaw at his mind.

_**Charles, it’s ok.** _

All that love. Charles can breathe in all that love. He weaves in and out of traffic with half a mind full of Erik’s reassurance.

_**[I want it to stop, Erik.** _

_**You need to get on the right street.** _

_**I want you to stop.** _

_**I need you to straighten up and get on the right road. Now.]** _

Charles turns on the GPS navigator. Hank McCoy and his toys. _**This is as fun as it gets,**_ Erik smirks into his mind.

_“You are on a one-way street.”_ A cool metallic voice, apparently not up Erik's street. 

“Yes, genius! How the hell do we get out of here?” Erik drawls. “Charles, type in Pier 45.”

A map. A trail of red leading them safely out of their current mess. Red. How freakin’ appropriate.

_**Just follow the directions, Charles.** _

That is exactly what Charles does, Good Boy, Left, Right, Exit. On a less frequented road. More screams. Charles does not dare throw his powers out. Not even to Erik.

Maybe Erik is the better for it.

Maybe-

_“You have arrived at your destination.”_

Pier 45 is an abandoned row of warehouses.

“Charles?”

“On it.” Charles casts his mind out, scanning for stranglers and squatters who might get interested in them. No one turns up. The man is unlucky. No wayside rescue for him.

_**[Leave, Charles.** _

_**What?** _

_**Leave. I’m just getting started. I don’t want you in my head. I’d rather you weren’t here w-** _

_**With you? You’d rather I weren’t here with you?]** _

“I’d rather you weren’t watching.” Charles notes a miserable finality to Erik’s tone.

He turns to watch one final time as it turns out. Mistake. Blood, scared open mind jumping at him from unsuspecting corners.

“Fine.” Charles tries to voice himself evenly. Of course, there isn’t much grace to be had when one is scurrying out of the driver’s seat, trying not to retch.

As soon as he is out, Erik’s door opens with a yawning creak. “Make yourself comfortable, jerk.” Erik snarls at their prisoner, matching it with a solid slam of the door.

Charles attempts to look cool as Erik strides to him; leaning abundantly on the pristine blue body of the car and crossing his feet.

_**[Now if only you could stand up without having to lean on something.** _

_**Erik, I…** _

_**I told you not to look.** _

_**I’m sorry, I’m just not made out for this.** _

_**That’s not something to apologize for.]** _

Now that’s in Erik’s real loving voice. Not his low-honeyed-over-hot voice, but his _**all my love to you voice.**_

“I didn’t realize I had so many voices.” Erik laughs grimly.

“Erik, I don’t like this. I can hear him in my head. Everything you do to him, I…I completely understand why you don’t want me there.”

“Charles. There’s no point, no moment, in time when I’ll regret having you in my head. I’ll take you any day.”

“Let me stay with you then.”

“No, there are some places where you can’t go. Correction. Where I won’t let you go. I’ll do everything in my power to stop you.”

Charles’s mouth goes dry as Erik places as deep kiss on his forehead. “For me, you keep all of this out from here.”

And he is gone.

The door opens. Great, now Charles knows he can’t follow Erik down every door they open.

“Lehnsherr, you’re going down. But first I’ll take Xavier and rip him apart bone by bone. You’ll watch, you son of a bitch.” The man’s words end in a terrifying sob.

“Yeah, That’s what’s best for you, retard. Threaten me in front of Erik!” Charles says loudly.

The door shuts eerily.

_**[** An exasperated mental roll of the eyes: **Humans! I tell you, Charles!!** _

_**Erik, love…** _

_**I’m beginning. Need you to shut everything down.** _

_**For you.** _

_**For me.]** _


	4. 4. Earth Calling Erik Lehnsherr

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A tantrum; done the Erik way!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More things to know about Erik...

_**[Erik, the mansion is on fire!** _

_**It’s fucking not! I’m not coming out.]** _

Erik is stubborn. Possibly the most stubborn man to walk the face of the Earth. Tough luck, Charles is determined to outdo him.

Erik glowers at Charles or at the sense of him refusing to back down. There was once a time not too long ago when he could have intimidated Charles into leaving him alone. He reminds Charles now with a little metallic buzz that runs around the house; just your chandelier-rumbling, metal breaking warning.

_**You don’t scare me, Lehnsherr.** _

Nothing. Erik is done with the talking/thinking. And also apparently with the metal torture.

Charles sighs and returns to sitting with his back pressed against a solidly shut door. On the other side is a man so emotionally unavailable that it should be made criminal. In fact, as far as Charles is concerned, it is criminal.

_**[Oh, you’d hang, my friend.** _

_**And you’d be king, Charles.]** _

“At least have breakfast.” Charles mutters wisely. He thinks about the smell of fresh cream bagels and coffee; remembering to send the memory to Erik in all its glory.

Nothing still. _**Fine, be that way.**_ There is nothing Erik can do to make him leave.

 _ **Nothing?** _ Charles jumps at the mischievous intent that enters his mind with Erik’s thought.

 _ **Nothing.**_ Charles retorts, hoping he sounds more confident than he feels.

There is a silence inside the room, the kind that reminds Charles of wings fluttering in the air before a storm. He knows something is wrong. Something is coming his way.

Before he can relax, a flashing piece of metal launches itself at him; he watches spell-bound as it lodges noisily in the door missing his face by inches.

He sees it clearly, a silver knife.

“Erik, love, what’re you doing?” Charles asks shakily, knowing very well he won’t like the answer too much.

“Proving you wrong, darling.” Erik replies in a sing-song voice that chills every thought Charles could begin to gather.

A second longer knife rises into position, shimmering constantly; Charles senses the very real threat in Erik’s mind this time.

_**[No.** _

_**No? Then leave, Charles.** _

_**No. Erik. Nothing will make me leave. Just stop.]** _

In reply, the knife swerves towards him, slow this time, as though to heighten his fearful anticipation. Charles brings his hands up in defense.

The knife wobbles to a stop in front of him. Its point of light, the tip winks and dips towards his face. Fuck, Charles imagines the knife cutting him, maybe taking an eye out.

“I can’t hear you. Ready to run, yet?” Erik is definitely in a much better mood now.

Charles is a little disappointed that Erik can be happy with the thought of Charles fearing him. Then again, that is Erik’s staple.

 _ **–Fuck y-**_ Charles does not really get to the end of his curse. The knife slides and presses its edge to his hair.

Charles’s breath hitches. _**Erik!**_

“I’m out of control, Charles.”

Charles swallows. “I could’ve told you that.” He braves.

“Aren’t you scared of me?”

_**No.** _

The knife traces a particularly long lock of hair to its tip, flipping it back neatly in a blink of Charles’s eye.

_**No. I’m not scared of you. And it’s not for lack of trying on your part.** _

“I’ve really done nothing that can be called trying, Charles.” Erik says in an amiable huff. _**Charles, can I come to you now?** _ The knife clatters harmlessly to the floor.

“Yes, Erik. It seems you’re quite done with your tantrum. You come to me now.”

The door opens with astonishing speed; but Charles is happily on his feet, no added embarrassment of falling over backwards at Erik’s feet.

“Hello.” Erik says a little sheepishly. His smile reminds Charles of rainbows, maybe even cream bagels.

“I’m starving, Erik.” Charles remembers and looks ready to walk away.

Erik grabs him by his collars and kisses him filthily. _**So am I.** _

So, Charles surmises quietly in his head. It is not his fear that Erik wants. Erik only wants Charles to stay.

_**[Oh and Erik, one more thing…** _

_**Yes?** _

_**Touch my hair like that again and I will make you believe you’re a ballerina in Swan Lake.** _

_**Kinky Charles!]** _


	5. 5. Collateral

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charles sees the real damage the battle with Shaw is doing to Erik

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Know your real enemy...

_**[Good, God!** _

_**Call me Charles…** _

_**Ha. Ha. Oh, Charles, Charles.]** _

It is satisfying, the tired canting of his name from Erik’s mind, complemented by the absolute heaving of his body; the warmth resting along the contours of Charles’s form.

_**[Did I tire you out, Love?]** _

The smugness drifts to Erik who will not take that sort of thing laying low. A prompt nip to the back of Charles’s neck.

“Oww…Erik!” The retort is sharp. “I think that broke skin.”

“Hmm…Let me take care of that.” Erik, so debonair, with a swift lick to the sting, and Charles bets, enjoying the salt in his sweat.

“But it still hurts…” Charles moans, chiefly because he wants to rile Erik into more. So Erik presses a cool kiss to Charles’s mortal wound. The kind that makes him squirm into the touch and smile unseen.

“Is that better?” Erik sounds like he knows the answer. But still, Charles just wants more, so he shakes his head.

No. Really, Erik has been waiting for that. He draws a reverent pattern, nuzzling on Charles’s skin _**– Neon-alabaster when it’s dark-**_

Charles laughs at the thought. _**Hardly.**_ Erik’s arms wrap themselves around his waist and flip him over.

What right does Erik have to look positively blissful? Isn’t that Charles’s thing right now?

“Don’t you know? You have alabaster skin…” Erik whispers, _**loving**_ Charles out of his head.

“Only that?” Charles goads. Erik is in such a rare mood.

“You have lips that fit into my kiss.” Erik. “And eyes like the ocean.”

Charles lifts his head easily enough to press his lips to Erik’s. He likes the rapidity with which he is received. Home-coming.

_**[I thought we were going to sleep now.** _

_**I don’t want to anymore, Erik.** _

_**Good! Me neither.]** _

Charles has no idea how his wrists came to be like that when the kiss was over; held down on either side by warm, strong arms.

Or how Erik ended up so comfortably on top. He pushes back with his weight for the sheer tension of it.

This is… Charles puts all the things, _**the sliding of their skins, Erik’s closed eyes, his own open legs crossed over Erik’s back,**_ into a single image.

Mmm…Erik hums for a semblance of coherence.

Charles can feel the need, new but familiar all the same, emanating from Erik. He frees his hands to tug expertly at Erik’s hair, guiding his mouth to places that demand attention, returning everything with interest in turn. “Charles…” Erik’s breath hitches. In reply, he nibbles softly at the crook of Erik’s neck.

“Charles…” The first sign of anything being wrong is the weird quiet that strikes. Erik is of course the first to notice. _**Isn’t it weird?**_

“What?” Charles mumbles, pulling Erik back into a kiss. The lights flicker and go out. _**Now that’s weird. Was that you, Erik?** _

Then all hell breaks loose. The first blast rips out from somewhere below them, but it’s not strong enough to do serious damage to the house.

Charles feels his head ring with the roar; and his mind filling almost immediately with alarmed consciousnesses waking to an inferno where the hallway was. He pushes them really awake: _ **this is for real. Remember our drills? Calmly, head for the nearest safe paths.**_

It’s only then that Erik’s panic assails him.

_**[Charles! Charles! Charles!** _

_**I’m alright, please calm down, Erik. The children –** _

_**Charles!** _

_**Erik, I’m-]** _

Erik hugs him closer. There is no escaping the relief that flows from him. “Charles, are you hurt? Are you-”

Charles lets his aura cover Erik as well, sensing immediately a sharp relaxing of Erik’s mind. Almost instantaneously, Erik picks up the metal honed at the mansion and Charles’s skin prickles at the hostile intent that shrouds them.

“Erik, I didn’t sense a thing. It must be Shaw’s telepath!”

_**Fuck**_ and Erik’s coarse remorse enters Charles’s head.

_**Sunday morning, you’re so sleepy, close, wanting, wanting, but training soon-In the cab, almost kissing, can’t kiss, people watching, touch fingers instead-playing with Ororo, wonderful, kind, so kind, hug you, keep you near-rain and coffee, and you-make love to you-say your name-but but but children, more training, planning, meeting-you after a bath, wet and beautiful- I want you in bed now-shit-someone sighted Shaw, we need to go-no, need you, but this-all of this…** _

“Erik, Erik, love…”

“Get the children. It’s me they want. Send Raven and Alex and Hank.”

_**Erik.** _

“No! Close your mind and the children’s. She’s good.” And with that Erik is gone.

Charles scampers to the kids. The telepath may already have seen the escape routes. He spreads a blanket of calm and leaden cover into the kids’ minds.

_**To the bunker, you’ll be safe there, I promise. Nothing gets in and nothing gets out.** _

To Alex, Hank and Raven, he sends a sharp directive.

_**[GotoErikoutside.What?alreadythere?** _

_**-Erik,Erik,AlexandHankandRavenareinovertheirbloodyheads** _

_**\- Got them, Charles. Now go.]** _

The second blast is muted and faraway. It’s like a veil being lifted, the telepath is gone. _**I’ve taken her down, Charles. Freeze the teleporter-** _

Charles gets him, just long enough for Alex to blast him to kingdom come.

_**Ha.** _

_**You’re welcome Alex.** _

_**We’re kicking butt here, Erik is awesome.** _

And Erik, Erik is all rage. God, Erik interrupted. And Erik victorious. So Charles knows this too.

**_[That was the last of them. You and the kids can come out now._ **

**_Alex tells me you were awesome._ **

**_I was being awesome when this happened._ **

**_True. What do you want to do now that it’s done?]_ **

“Hank! You and Raven, clean up this mess. Alex, take the kids up to the East wing and stay with them. Charles and I have some important plans to make. We are not to be disturbed.”


End file.
